Zubop - Cycle City (1991)

Zubop play original compositions which combine global dance rhythms and jazz improvisation. The band's members have between them a wide-ranging experience of and affinity for many musical styles, including South African township music, salsa, samba, funk, reggae, rock, blues, ska, folk, North, West and East African and Asian musics. They have worked individually and collectively with musicians from many parts of the world, and these experiences feed back into the work of the band. While the term 'Worldbeat Music' has sometimes been used to describe what they do, Zubop are generally suspicious of categories, and unanimous in their desire to allow an unrestricted range of influences to play a part in forming their music. All seven members are composers providing very diverse input into the repertoire, forged by collective arrangement into a coherent sound which is unmistakeably Zubop. The band has completed seven tours in Germany and Switzerland, and performed (for both dancers and listeners) in most parts of Britain from Orkney to Cornwall, West Wales to Norfolk, and most recently Shetland. The frequency with which they receive return bookings testifies to their ability to delight audiences in all sorts of venues.